Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections And Campaigns topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners criticize anonymous mailer targeting local residents and a commissioner; call for investigation
Summary
Commissioners and a public speaker raised concerns about an anonymously mailed flyer accusing a planning commissioner and a resident of ethics violations; the commission discussed legal limits on official responses and where to route complaints.
At the June 16 Planning Commission meeting a commissioner raised an item of public concern: an anonymous political mailer that was sent broadly to Malibu addresses and accused Planning Commissioner Mazza and resident Joe Drummond of unspecified ethics violations.
Commissioner Marnie (speaker identified in the record as a commissioner) told the commission she received the mailer, which listed no return address or campaign finance disclosures and appeared to be mailed from Santa Clarita. She called the flyer harassment and urged the city or appropriate authorities to investigate who paid for and distributed it and whether campaign‑finance or voter‑data misuse laws were violated.
Commissioners discussed First Amendment limits on official responses. One commissioner cautioned that the dais must be careful about how it addresses anonymous speech and that any credible claims about campaign‑finance violations should be sent to the city attorney's office for review. Another commissioner said the mailer was intimidating and detrimental to civic participation and expressed support for investigations if unlawful activity occurred.
The commission did not take formal investigative action from the dais but directed staff and the public to the appropriate processes for reporting possible legal violations, including the city attorney's office for campaign‑finance or data‑privacy concerns.
